The Hottest Young Royals

Young, wealthy and titled, these individuals are among the most envied and watched in the world.
The wedding of Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria was the invitation of the season. Dozens of royals descended on Stockholm in June to help celebrate the country's first royal wedding since 1976. Among the guests were Monaco's Prince Albert, the Netherlands' Queen Beatrix and Jordan's Queen Rania (who tweeted about the event).
Princess Victoria married former gym owner Daniel Westling in a lavish ceremony estimated to have cost US$2 million. The ceremony had both pomp--the princess' 16.5 foot train dress was topped with a cameo tiara made of gold, pearls and cameos that her mother had worn to her own wedding--and pop as two Swedish singers performed "When You Tell The World You're Mine." And it had style watchers around the globe dissecting what the world's royals were wearing.
After the ceremony, hundreds of thousands of well-wishers lined the streets to get a glimpse of the newlyweds as they rode through the capital in a horse-drawn carriage. It capped a two-week celebration leading up to the wedding dubbed "Love Stockholm 2010," which hosted free events around town.

 Britain's Prince William is a hotty, who has over 8 million Google hits and numerous fan sites feverishly speculating whether the second in line to the British throne will or won't ask long-time girlfriend, Kate Middleton, to be his wife. Royal watchers would love a redux of the famed 1981 nuptials of his parents, Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.

Prince Harry, third in line to the throne is a hunk; very athletic and a little wild and crazy. He is very passionate about his causes and charities.  Perhaps the most unforgettable sports moment for a royal this year was when Prince Harry fell off his horse at a polo event on New York's Governor's Island in June. It was a moment memorialized in local tabloids, proving that royals may live a glamorous, high-end lifestyle but it is one that offers little chance of escaping the media glare.

Prince William's cousin, Zara Phillips , is also talking about marriage to her live-in boyfriend, rugby player Mike Tindall. She is reportedly waiting for the palace's blessing, and timing may depend on when and whether Prince William intends to marry.

Monaco's Prince Albert, the playboy prince who once dated Brooke Shields and Claudia Schiffer and made headlines when he acknowledged fathering two illegitimate children, is settling down, too. In June he announced his engagement to Charlene Wittstock after he presented the former South African Olympic swimmer with a ring reportedly worth US$100,000.

Wittstock, who has been increasingly covered by the press since she moved to Monaco in 2006 and began being seen with the Prince, will be closely followed as she plans the royal wedding, rumored to be next summer. She will become the principality's first crown princess since the death of Princess Grace in 1982.

Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyano of Abu Dhabi, aged 40 is a member of tiny emirate Abu Dhabi's royal family; half brother of the current president of United Arab Emirates, Emir of Abu Dhabi, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Chairs the state's oil-oriented sovereign wealth fund and serves as UAE deputy prime minister. In 2008 bought British soccer team Manchester City for $300 million. Avid horse rider.

Sports have also shone a spotlight on certain royals. The World Cup--which had an estimated global TV audience of 125 million per game--brought thousands of soccer fans to the tiny Royal Bafokeng Nation, which spent US$70 million upgrading its 39,000-seat stadium and building a special sports training complex for the U.K. team. King Leruo Tshekedi Molotlegi  hopes to use sports to help boost the living standards of the nation's population of 300,000.

Meanwhile, the U.K.'s Princess Beatrice, granddaughter of England's Queen Elizabeth, completed the London Marathon, apparently the first royal to do so, while also setting a new Guinness World Record by taking part in a "human caterpillar," a chain of 30-plus runners led by Sam and Holly Branson, the son and daughter of billionaire Sir Richard Branson.

Queen Rania ofJordan, aged 39 is the wife of Jordan's King Abdullah . She uses her royal platform to passionately promote human rights, women's issues and global literacy. Her children book, The Sandwich Shop released in April, was on the New York Times bestseller list for two consecutive weeks. Regularly updates her own website, Facebook, YouTube channel and Twitter and Flickr accounts; with Jordan's tourism office, launched a Twitter video contest in July to promote cross-cultural understanding. Her sense of style has been compared to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Princess Diana. Mother of four, turns 40 in August.

Princess Haya of Dubai - Age: 36:
Half-sister of Jordan's King Abdullah became second wife of Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in 2004. Pair share a passion for horses. He owns renowed thoroughbred breeders Darley Stables and hosts the Dubai World Cup, whose total potential winnings exceed $26 million, the highest in the world; she is a champion show jumper who won King's Cup at age 12; rode in Sydney Olympics in 2000. Now elected member of International Olympic Committee. In June, appointed patron of World Academy of Sport; already planning first-ever 5 kilometer marathon for women in the UAE later this year.

These are just some of the attractive young royals carving a destiny for themselves in the world today. They were born to privilege and money and come from a royal heritage that you can see in their proud bearing and slightly arrogant faces. We forgive them.  They put up with public scrutiny and envy, papparazzi, public appearances and duties. They can't help who they are.

Royal family Getting With It

In an attempt to embrace modern-day technology and to stay close to the royal subjects, the British royal family is set to unveil its new presence on the popular photo-sharing site Flickr. More than 600 images will be available for perusal Monday as part of the launch of the official "British Monarchy" Flickr account. The images, spanning generations, will be lumped into various categories for easier browsing. Each member of the current royal family will have his or her own section of shots, which will accompany various other sections for behind-the-scenes imagery, royal visits, and other pertinent topics.


However, don't expect to be able to make use of Flickr's more community-centric aspects on British Monarchy shots. According to the Associated Press, commenting will be disabled for all of the account's pictures. Users will still be able to share and embed the photographs at will, a head-nod to the monarchy's efforts to keep up with the latest social media circles on the Web.


The monarchy launched its official Twitter account just a bit over one year ago in an effort to, "harness the popularity of Twitter to spread news about the Royal Family," said a spokesperson. Though the Queen and Prince of Wales themselves don't actually do any of the updates, as one might expect, the account has already managed to accrue more than 50,000 individual followers from more than 3,600 updates.


The official YouTube channel, dubbed "The Royal Channel," is the family's longest-running account on any of the larger social media circles. Launched in late 2007, the YouTube channel has featured nearly 200 individual videos ranging from legacy United Nations speeches to procession videos. These various bits of multimedia have been viewed more than 9 million times, giving the channel 31,000 individual YouTube subscribers in the process.


Just to put the Royal Family's efforts into perspective, the official Twitter feed for the White House numbers nearly 1.8 million followers as of this article's writing—more than three times that of the British Monarchy. As well, the official White House YouTube channel has more than 30 million video views and 100,000 subscribers, and its official Flickr account—launched in February 2009—has put up 2,500 different images and counting.
The royal account can be accessed at  http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishmonarchy

White Chocolate Mousse Cake

This gorgeous cake is very easy to make, especially if you divide it into steps on different days. Bake the cake one day and reserve it (or freeze it up to 3 months). Then make the mousse and frosting the next day and assemble the cake.


Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pkg. two layer white cake mix
1-1/4 cups water
1/3 cup oil
3 egg whites
1 cup vanilla milk chips, very finely chopped
3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2-3 Tbsp. milk
1 cup vanilla milk chips
2-3 Tbsp. milk


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9" round layer cake pans and set aside. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 1-1/4 cups water, oil, and egg whites and blend. Beat two minutes at high speed. Fold in the finely chopped vanilla milk chips. Pour into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
Filling:  beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup maple syrup, and vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth. Beat whipped cream and 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar until stiff and fold into cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate while preparing frosting and glaze.
 Frosting:  beat together 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, and enough milk for a smooth spreading consistency. Set aside.
 Glaze:  in small saucepan heat together 1 cup vanilla milk chips with 2 Tbsp. milk, stirring constantly until smooth. You may need to add more milk for a pouring consistency. Set this pan in a bowl of hot water to keep warm.
Directions:
Place one cake layer upside down on serving plate. Top with all of the maple filling. Place remaining cake layer, right side up, on top of maple filling. Pour white chocolate glaze over top of cake, spreading gently if necessary to cover top. (If some glaze drips down sides of cake, that's ok; the glaze should be stiff enough so it moves very slowly.) Frost sides of cake with the frosting.  Leave plain or decorate with curls of dark and white chocolate. Store cake in refrigerator. 16 servings.

Funnel Cakes - So Simple to Make - Sooo Good Served Warm

Funnel Cake Ingredients:
1 C. flour
3/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 egg
1 cup + 1 T. milk
2 T. sugar
powdered sugar (optional)

Topping:
 -strawberry slices with strawberry syrup, and top that with  ice cream or whipped cream. Could also use apple pie filling sprinkled with cinnamon. Toppings  must be warmed.
Directions: Get a medium sized funnel
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl with wire whisk. In another bowl, beat egg and milk. Add sugar, stir to dissolve. Add dry ingredients and (using electric mixer) beat until smooth.
Heat at least 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees F. in either in a deep fryer or a skillet. To form each funnel cake, place one finger over hole in bottom of funnel. Carefully fill funnel with batter. Over hot oil remove finger and allow batter to drop into oil. Make circular or other shapes with batter. Cook for 1 minute and using tongs or two spatulas turn funnel cake. Cook until golden brown, about another minute or so. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered  sugar (optional) add toppings. Serve warm.

Lion's Mane Jellyfish Stings 150 People...After it Died

A large jellyfish stung approximately 150 people at the Wallis Sands State Beach in Rye, New Hampshire on Wednesday. The injured included ten children treated at the Portsmouth Regional Hospital. The jellyfish weighed approximately fifty pounds and had thirteen foot tentacles.
A lifeguard spotted the jellyfish within a hundred and fifty meters of shore. The lifeguard had swum out on a surf board and attempted to use a pitchfork to remove the creature from the water. The jellyfish was already dead and broke into pieces during removal. It was stingers on the creature’s tentacles, which remain active for three to four days after death that caused the injuries to swimmers in the water.


Lion’s mane jellyfish are native to the cold waters of the Arctic, north Atlantic, and north Pacific oceans. They are seldom found so far south. They are the largest known species of jellyfish, capable of reaching a bell diameter of eight feet with hundreds of tentacles reaching upward of ninety feet. Lion’s mane jellyfish feed primarily on plankton, small fish, and other species of smaller jellyfish. Their sting causes burning and tissue inflammation but is usually not lethal.
The Lion’s Mane jellyfish’s is typically seen the boreal waters of the extreme northern region and is almost never seen in southern latitudes.
The beach is temporarily closed until it is safe to go in the water.

Archaeologists Discover Stonehenge's Timber Twin

London (July 23) - Stonehenge,that ancient and mysterious circle of giant   obelisks   on England's Salisbury Plain, may once have had a  nearby wooden "twin," according to a pioneering new archaeological survey.

"The idea of finding something as significant and dramatic as this monument, so close to Stonehenge is just brilliant,"Harry Chapman, an archaeologist   at  the University of Birmingham and a member of the team that made the discovery, said."It will completely change the way we think about Stonehenge and the surrounding landscape."

The discovery of the timber henge (a term used to describe any British circle ritual site dating from 3,000to 2,000 B.C.) was made by a multinational team of archaeologists, who started surveying the land around Stonehenge two weeks ago with sensors that provide a high-definition 3-d view of what's under the ground. "Every time you excavate, you damage the site by moving material," Chapman says. "With the technology we use, such as ground-penetrating radar, there's no need to dig.

The sun rises behind Stonehenge in southern England on June 21. Nearby is so-called Woodhenge a monument once composed of six rings of wooden posts enclosed by an earthen embankment.

A week after they started examining the area, the team spotted what appeared to be a circle of 24 post holes under the ground, less than 3,000 feet to the northwest of Stonehenge. The ring measured about 82 feet in diameter - just 17 feet less than Stonehenge - and was enclosed by an inner ditch and possibly an outer bank.

"The post holes are up to a meter in diameter, which suggests that the timbers they'd have held would have been at least 10 feet high,"Chapman says. He adds that the towering structure  was likely built "about 4.500 years ago,on the basis  of  comparing it with other sites." That's approximately the same time that Stonehenge's world-famous trilithons  - a prehistoric structure with two upright stone blocks supporting a third placed across the top - were erected.

Curiously, the newly discovered monument mirrors a similar henge some 4,270 feet southeast  of Stonehenge, which was first uncovered in 1937. Like the newly discovered site, that circle overlooks the ancient stone structure  and has two entrances . All three henges appear to have been deliberately aligned.

The latest find throws into question previous assumptions about  Britain's most famous ancient monument. "Many interpretations have traditionally  placed  Stonehenge at the center of the site of isolation," Chapman says.  "But, what we're seeing is that Stonehenge, when it entered its very grand phrase, wasn't the only structure in the area. It was surrounded by other complex structures, that may have been used much like medieval cathedrals ." So instead of being the focus of all the ancient folks' attention, Stonehenge was likely just one - admittedly impressive - part of the religious landscape.

As the ancient Britons didn't record their thoughts, we'll likely never know exactly why they built Stonehenge and its smaller siblings. But Chapman says the latest discovery offers an insight  into their beliefs.He suggests that the "wood and stone" circles may have been placed close together  as two materials  had intertwined "symbolic meanings" for Neolithic Brits. That ties in  with the thinking of Mike Parker Pearson, a Shetfield University archaeologist and henge expert, who has suggested that the wooden structures might have been associated with feasts for the living, while stone circles were realms of the dead.

The discovery of the new wooden henge is likely just the first of many surprise  discoveries to come from Chapman and his fellow archaeologists. By 2014, they intend to have scanned about 5 square  miles of land around Stonehenge, which will then be collated into a detailed map.

"I  think in the next four (4) years, we're going to have quite a different understanding of Stonehenge ," Chapman Says." And we'll have a better understanding of the people who built it."

4 - Time Texas Lotto Winner - What Are the Odds?? - Very Mysterious

BISHOP, Texas - The odds that Joan Ginther would hit four Texas Lottery jackpots for a combined $21 million are astronomical. Mathematicians say the chances are as slim as 1 in 18 septillion — that's 18 and 24 zeros. Just as unlikely? Getting to know one of the luckiest women in the world.
"She wants her privacy," friend Cris Carmona said.

On a $50 scratch-off ticket bought in this rural farming community, Ginther won $10 million last month in her biggest windfall yet. But it was the fourth winning ticket in Texas for the 63-year-old former college professor since 1993, when Ginther split an $11 million jackpot and became the most famous native in Bishop history.
However, she's a celebrity who few in this town of 3,300 people can say much about.
"That lady is pretty much scarce to everybody," said Lucas Ray Cruz, Ginther's former neighbour. "That's just the way she is."


At the Times Market where Ginther bought her last two winning tickets, the highway gas station is fast becoming a pilgrimage for unlucky lottery losers. Lines stretch deep past a $5.98 bin of Mexican movie DVDs, and a woman from Rhode Island called last week asking to buy tickets from the charmed store through the mail. She was told that was illegal. The woman called back to plead again anyway.
The Texas Lottery Commission has seen repeat winners before, but none on the scale of Ginther. Spokesman Bobby Heith said the agency has never investigated Ginther's winnings — three scratch-off tickets and one lottery draw — for possible fraud but described the verification system as very thorough.
So how did Ginther do it, then ? Good luck pinning her down to ask.


Ginther has never spoken publicly about her lotto winnings and could not be found for comment. She now lives in Las Vegas after moving away from Bishop, and an answering machine message for a telephone number listed at her address says not to leave a message. She asked the few people who've exchanged more than brief pleasantries with her not to grant interviews and sneaked into lottery headquarters in Austin to collect her winnings with the least publicity the state offers jackpot winners. But spend a few hours in her hometown — and equal time scouring public records — and a contrasting profile emerges.


Her home address in Las Vegas is on a street called Paradise Drive. When USA Today asked readers in 2000 to sound off on airline service, Ginther groaned over a flight attendant who carted away her cheese and crackers and a sundae too soon. Two years later, she grumbled to the Las Vegas Review-Journal about a proposed monorail running through her exclusive condominium towers.
"I moved here because I wanted to have a beautiful home with a great view and that's what I have. I didn't expect to have a monorail come down here with thousands of tourists every day," Ginther told the newspaper, in what might have been the only time she was directly quoted in the media.

 Nitpicking first-class service, and mad the view in her luxury home might be spoiled? Bishop residents may not know much about Ginther — but they know that's not like her. Here around the cotton farms and boarded-up downtown shops, Ginther, who over the years regularly visited the town to see her father, is called benevolent as much as she's called lucky. They say she bought the church a van. Gave money to the family that runs the Days Inn off the highway. When she moved, she donated her home to charity. Sun Bae, who owns the Time Market and sold Ginther her last two winning tickets, said she drives around in a bland Nissan sedan but once bought a nicer car for someone down on their luck. Bae said Ginther doesn't even own a cellphone.
"She is a very generous woman. She's helped so many people," Bae said of Ginther.


Calculating the actual odds of Ginther hitting four multimillion-dollar lottery jackpots is tricky. If Ginther's winning tickets were the only four she ever bought, the odds would be one in 18 septillion, according to Sandy Norman and Eduardo Duenez, math professors at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Exactly how often Ginther plays is unknown. But Norman and Duenez said that a habitual player winning four times over a 17-year span is much less far-fetched.
At the Times Market, Bae and store regular Gloria Gonzalez said they've certainly watched Ginther buy her share of tickets over the years. And not just for her.
Gonzalez said when her elderly father would sit at the store's window booth and scrub through dollar scratch-offs, Ginther would surprise him with a $50 ream of tickets. After all, the only way to win is to keep playing. Ginther is smart enough to know that's how you beat the odds: she earned her doctorate from Stanford University in 1976, then spent a decade on faculty at several colleges in California. Guess what? She taught math.....Hmmmm.